Flashless discharger and flare



H. E. MILLS FLASHLESS DISCHARGER AND FLARE Filed March 22, 1943 May 8, 1945.

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Patented May 8, 1945 FLASHLESS DISCHARGER AND FLARE Herbert E. Mills, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Company, Detroit, Miclt, a corporation of Michigan Application March 22, 1943, Serial No. 480,125

Claims.

This invention relates to dischargers and/or flares and has particular reference to a flashless discharger adapted for firing projectiles such for example as flares or the like.

The invention in the embodiments thereof selected for purposes of illustration comprises a self-contained hand discharger which i particularly adapted for discharging a, projectile such as a flare, and makes use of a charge of highly compressed fluid as the propelling force in lieu of an explosive so that the projectile may be discharged without any flash so that the location from which the projectile is fired will not be disclosed.

Principal objects of the invention are:

To provide a flashless discharger;

To provide a self-contained flashless flare;

To provide a self-contained flashless dlscharger for shooting flares and the like;

To provide a very cheap and simple dlscharger which may be adapted for shooting projectiles such as flares and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, of which there is one sheet and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken in a plane along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the device illustrated in Fi 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device illustrated in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line l'l of Fig. 6.

As illustrated in Figs 1-4 of the drawing, the device embodying my invention comprises a barrel or cylinder It adapted to be grasped in a hand of the operator, a projectile l2 adapted to be expelled from the barrel l 0, a compressed fluid cartridge hi, and a means for rupturing the cartridge I l comprising a hand-actuated pin It. The barrel l0 may be formed of metal or any other suitable material and is constructed and designed so as to withstand the pressure developed when the cartridge M is ruptured.

The projectile l2, which may consist of a flare signal or any other type of projectile, is arranged in the barrel m at the mouth end thereof and may be snugly fitted within annular gaskets l8 which in turn are snugly positioned within the barrel l0 so as to efliciently utilize the expelling force released by the puncturing of the cartridge M.

A means not shown may be provided in the mouth of the barrel ill for preventing the accidental displacement of the projectile I2 from the barrel I0, and this means, if used, of course should be removed out of the path of the projectile I2 before the expelling force is released.

In this instance the expelling force for hurling the projectile from the barrel may be provided by suddenly releasing a charge of highly compressed fluid contained within the cartridge id. The compressed fluid may for example be CO2 or any other suitable fluid. The cartridge M is charged with a sufilcient amount of this fluid under such pressure as i desired in order to obtain the desired travel of the projectile H2.

The cartridge I4 is secured in the barrel in rearwardly of the projectile l2 and held therein by an apertured plate 20 which may be firmly secured within the barrel 10 in any suitable way, such for example as by welding or soldering. The cartridge it is supported in spaced relation to the interior of the barrel ID by the seat provided by the plate 29 and by a plurality of inwardly projecting bumps or dimples 22 which may be formed in the walls of the barrel ill.

The rearward end 26 of the cartridge IE is provided with a disc or membrane 26 which is adapted to be punctured or ruptured by the pin it when actuated in the manner hereinafter set forth. Upon rupturing of the disc 26 the highly compressed fluid with which the cartridge it is charged will be released and the pressure exerted thereby will act on the shell l2 and expel the same forcibly from the barrel Ill.

The rear end of the barrel I0 is provided with a means for carrying and actuating the pin it and this means comprises a member 28 suitably secured to the end of the barrel l 0, another member 30 carried by the member 28, a rod or member 32 which carries the pin l6 and forms a part of a plunger which includes another member 34 to which a cap is suitably aflixed. A spring 38 confined between the members 36 and 28 normally positions the pin away from the membrane 26 and a safety 40 pivotally secured to the outside of the member 30 is adapted to span the space between the cap and the member 28 so as to prevent accidental movement of the plunger and the pin l6. By manually turning the safety to the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 1,

the pin 16 may be moved so as to rupture the membrane 26 by a sharp blow imparted to the cap 36 in the direction of the cartridge II. A detent 42 may be provided between the safety 40 and the member 30 so as to prevent accidental displacement of the safety 40.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, a device similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1-4 is provided except that in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5-,? the barrel H may be made of paper, cardboard, plastic, or the like. A projectile 1 I2 is suitably arranged within the barrel I I0 and may be positioned against a transverse memher 1 H which is provided with a pin H6 adapted for rupturing the membrane or disc of the car-- tricige I which is positioned in the barrel 0 rearwardly of the projectile H2 so as to be movable relative to the barrel H9 in order that the disc of the cartridge ill may be ruptured by the pin H6 in order to release the compressed fluid into the barrel.

The cartridge i it may have a friction flt within the barrel i 68 and is adapted to be moved by plug H which projects from the rear end of the barrel. The plug is held in assembled relationship with the barrel Mil by a pin ill which projects into guides or slots H8 formed in the barrel. By imparting a blow to the block M5 in the direction of the projectile H2 the block i 55 will move the cartridge H4 so that the pin H6 will rupture the disc thereof so as to expel the projectile H2 from the barrel 1 iii of the discharger. The memher 9 it may be held in place by a band 82b which encircles the barrel intermediate the ends thereof.

The device illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is particularly designed as a single shot, se1f-contained flare and discharger, which is adapted to be discarded after the projectile H2 has been fired. The device illustrated in Figs. 1-4 may also be constructed sufilciently cheaply so as to be discarded after a single use, but if made as illustrated it may be reused by the insertion of an other projectile 92 in the front end of the barrel and the insertion of another cartridge id in the rear end of the barrel. In this regard it should be noted that the member at has a threaded connection with the rear end of the barrel iii which permits the parts to be disassembled, the used cartridge id removed, and a new cartridge inserted.

If the projectile I2 is a flare signal, it may be of any desired construction and include means for igniting the flare after it is in the air and means for floating the flare in the air during combustion thereof.

While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understood that the description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture a combined projectile and discharger comprising a barrel having a projectile frictionally secured theren for discharge therefrom, said barrel being closed at one end and the projectile closing the other end thereof; means for discharging said projectile comprising a cartridge of highly compressed fluid 7 arranged in said barrel between said projectile and the closed end of said barrel, and means for rupturing said cartridge for suddenly releasing said fluid into said barrel at the rear of said projectile thereby to discharge said projectile from said barrel, said barrel having a substantially unobstructed bore permitting a substantially free discharge of said projectile upon release of said charge, said barrel providing a case for said projectile as well as the barrel of the discharger therefor.

2. As an article of manufacture a self-contained expendable discharger and signal comprising a barrel having a projectile frictionally secured therein for discharge therefrom, said barrel being closed at one end and the projectile closing the other end thereof, means for discharging said projectile comprising a. cartridge of highly compressed fluid arranged in said barrel between said projectile and the closed end of said barrel, and means for puncturing said cartridge for suddenly releasing said fluid into said barrel behind said projectile, thereby to discharge said projectile from said barrel, said barrel having a substantially unobstructed bore permitting a substantially free discharge of said projectile upon release of said charge, said barrel providing a case for said projectile as well as the barrel of the discharger therefor.

3. As an article of manufacture a flashless discharger comprising a barrel, a projectile frictionally secured therein for discharge therefrom, a cartridge of highly compressed fluid within said barrel; and means for suddenly releasing said fluid into said barrel at the rear of said projectile so as to provide an expelling force for discharging said projectile from said barrel, said means including a pin adapted to rupture said cartridge and .manually operated means for moving said pin and cartridge relative to each other in order to rupture said cartridge, said barrel having a substantially unobstructed bore permitting a substantially free discharge of said projectile upon release of said charge, said barrel providing a case for said projectile as well as the barrel of the discharger therefor.

4. As an article of manufacture a flashless discharger comprising a barrel, a projectile frictionally secured therein for discharge therefrom,

a cartridge of highly compressed fluid movably arranged within said barrel, and means for suddenly releasing said fluid into said barrel at the rear of said projectile so as to provide an expelling force for discharging said projectile from said barrel, said means including a pin adapted to engage and rupture a membrance of said cartridge upon movement thereof, said barrel having a substantially unobstructed bore permitting a substantially free discharge of said projectile upon release of said charge, said barrel providing a case for said projectile as well as the barrel of the discharger therefor.

5. As an article of manufacture a flashless discharger comprising a barrel, a projectile frictionally secured therein for discharge therefrom, a cartridge of highly compressed fluid within said barrel, and means for suddenly releasing said fluid into said barrel at the rear of said projectile so as to provide an expelling force for discharging said projectile from said barrel, said means including a movable pin adapted to engage and rupture a membrane of said cartridge, said barrel having a substantially unobstructed bore permitting a substantially free discharge of said projectile upon release of said charge, said barrel providing a case for said projectile as well as the barrel of the discharger therefor.

HERBERT E. MILLS. 

